The Given, by playwright Francine Volpe, currently running at Studio Dante, is a play about love; what it is, what it isn't, but mostly about what we want it to be. Ms. Volpe has created a New York landscape of marginal people all looking for something or someone just out of reach, and once again, as with last season's Late Fragment, this gifted writer has breathed life into these characters, each with specifically difficult aspirations. The story centers on Cathea (Laura Heisler), a young woman working in a sleazy strip club and from the play's opening scene in the club's dressing room the audience immediately sees the contrast between Cathea's personality, and the other stripper Suzie (Sharon Angela), as they discuss their lives and their reaction to the early sexual abuse they each experienced. Both actresses immediately create their characters with the skill and emotional honesty that is typical of the work at Studio Dante. Ms. Angela's performance is reminiscent of Miss Mazeppa in Gypsy, as she captures the essence of a stripper who's about had it with the life and career she can only bear by vodka.

After the show's over and Cathea goes home to her apartment, enter, Leon ( Anthony De Sando), her gay best friend, who deludes and distracts himself, with drugs and parties and lots of less than safe sex. His is a death wish on overdrive, the result of his own abused and unexamined childhood. Mr. De Sando gives a performance that is believably manic, as he searches for the next thrill. Juxtaposed to him is Swanee (Jason C. Brown) as the jilted lover of one of Cathea's neighbors, whose HIV dance with death has brought him to a place of enlightenment as an outreach counselor for at risk youth. He has history with Leon and theirs is a potentially and eventually explosive relationship, as they vie to be Cathea???s favorite. There's also Cathea's elderly Aunt Nettie (Elzbieta Czyzewska), often visiting from a nearby nursing home and constantly reinforcing Cathea's lack of self esteem. Ms. Czyzewska's character is all too recognizable to an audience dealing with their own aging relatives, and her performance is right on the mark.

It is Cathea's first encounter with a club customer, a married man, Seth (Remy Auberjonois) that is pivotal to the story, as Cathea begins to see a glimmer of hope for her life through their intelligent and intimate conversations. As their encounters continue with more frequency, and their affection seems to grow, Mr. Auberjonois is superb in this role, as he rambles on about the lack of love he gets from his wife since the birth of their newborn daughter. His portrayal is at once funny and sad and totally engaging, as he seduces Cathea as well as the audience. Ms. Heisler and Mr. Auberjonois are effortlessly believable in their roles as their relationship moves to deeper levels and Cathea starts to feel they may have a future together. But, when their conversations become more about Cathea's life than his, Seth disappears, leaving her angry and confused.

Ms. Heisler's emotional transitions and character's layers of humanity are played out to perfection as she plots her and executes her revenge. The play comes to a not entirely predictable conclusion, as all of the play's inhabitants resolve their situations and reveal their real motives, in Ms. Volpe's insightful and intricate script. The collaboration of playwright, actors and co-directors Michael Imperioli and Zetna Fuentes creates an evening of theatre that deserves acknowledgment and praise, as yet another feather is the artistic cap of Studio Dante.

Sets and costumes are yet again acutely and simply created by Victoria Imperioli, and lighting designer Tony Giovannetti's work is excellent as always, and the music choices for the play work very well. The venue is very small, which necessitates a few too many set changes, and the play might benefit from some editing, yet because so many of today's relevant issues are addressed in this play, all in all, The Given is a piece to which attention must be paid.